Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chaptter.

I updated! So sorry for the long wait - there's a lot on my plate, and I'm trying to update different stuff. But no excuses - here's another chapter! Some fluff, lots of fighting (and swearing) and more! PLEASE! If you have an idea - any at all - leave it! I'mkind of stuck now for the plot at this point, and anything at all would get my brain to start working again, trust me! No matter how stupid it might seem to you, please let me know! If I use it, of course I'll give you credit.

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome. No flames.

"I didn't think you two were able to get out of the apartment, from what Ed told me," Mustang said in dry amusement, and they both glared at him.

"I needed to speak to you, sir," Kirstin said primly, and Havoc quickly left the room, leaving the two to face off alone.

"What about?"

"I want a transfer," she told him bluntly, and his eyebrows rose at her next statement. "I want off the case."

"That's a rather rash decision," he said calmly, peering at her. "It's the only way you'll be allowed to leave the military. And if you're taken off the case, not only will more men die, but you'll be locked away instead of being allowed to roam free. You'd be lucky if they let you live in prison."

"I know," she nodded. "I'm willing to accept the consequences of my actions. But I can't do it anymore."

"This wouldn't happen to involve a certain major in my unit, would it?" Mustang guessed, and saw her look away angrily.

"No."

"Hm," he folded his arms and let the silence drag out for a while before replying. "I'm afraid it's not feasible to transfer you at this moment."

"What?"

"Armstrong has too much on his plate to deal with you, and I certainly don't want to get further involved in this whole mess," the Flame Alchemist told her cheerfully. "So you'll just have to deal with whatever the problem is for a while longer. This is the second time you've requested a transfer out of here – but the first you wanted off the case. He must really get under your skin."

"It has nothing to do with Major Havoc," she said stiffly, and Mustang smirked.

"Sure it doesn't."

"I didn't come here to be mocked, sir," Kirstin interrupted Mustang's amusement and stood up.

"There was another killing last night," he said as she opened the door. Her back remained to him, but he saw her hand clench at her side.

"I told you – I refuse to take part in the case, much less head it," she told him quietly, before closing the door behind her.

"What a mess," Mustang sighed in aggravation, picking up the telephone. "Better let Armstrong know."

"Where're we going now?" Havoc asked, as she joined him in the car.

"I don't care," she said stiffly, looking away. He saw her flush for some reason, but shrugged it off in confusion.

"Mustang didn't give you another assignment?" he checked, and she shook her head. "Well, why don't we go see the Elrics? I haven't seen them in a long time – not counting when I was drunk," he added hastily, seeing her raise her eyebrow.

"That's fine," she nodded briefly, and he grinned lopsidedly before taking off.

"So, how'd it go with Mustang, anyway?" Havoc asked through his meal, as the pair sat in a tavern eating lunch. Kirstin glanced up from her plate briefly before shrugging.

"Fine, I guess. He's reporting me to Armstrong though, so I'm still stuck here."

"Stuck here?" Havoc repeated, and she winced at her slip. "What do you mean? You were trying to get a transfer out of here, weren't you?"

"I thought it'd be for the best," she told him stiffly, trying to get him to keep his voice down. He glared at her and slammed his palm on the table.

"For the best?" he repeated incredulously, and she placed her head in her hand. "For whom? That bitch who tried to kill us? You're just gonna run away?"

"Come here," she ordered, and dragged him through the back door outside into an alley. "I want a transfer because…because…because I don't want you to get hurt!" she hissed, turning pink from embarrassment. "All right – happy now? Now, can we go back inside and finish our meal, or are you going to cause another –" She was cut off when Havoc abruptly pulled her to him, and she found her face pressed against his chest.

"Kirstin…" he managed, resting his cheek on her hair. "Kirstin, I want to keep you safe. I don't want you to leave."

"Havoc…let me go!" she said, struggling to free herself. Years of emotional distancing and indifference wasn't going to be changed instantly, no matter what feelings were inside her – and there were so many she was only becoming confused and aggravated at herself. Pushing him away from her, she felt a painful twinge in her chest at his hurt look but couldn't stop the words from coming out of her mouth. "If you die, then my only lead to that bitch is gone – that's why I can't let you get hurt. If I lure her away from you, then…"

"I see," Havoc said stiffly, and strode past her back into the tavern. She released a shaky sigh as she slumped against the brick and hid her face in her hands. The words she had just said out-loud were ones she had told herself dozens of times before she had gone to Mustang, trying to convince herself she didn't care for the man she had just been so cruel to.

"Damn men…" she thought, sliding to the ground. "Damn men…why couldn't I stop myself from doing that to him?"

"At least you finally know how it is, Havoc," he told himself, stalking down the street after having paid for the food and leaving. Kirstin had never returned – a fact he was grateful for – leaving him alone with his thoughts. "I mean, you know where you both stand, so you don't have to worry about her anymore," he reasoned, trying to shake off the concern he felt over her absence. "Damn it! Stop moping over her – she's just another woman, like all the others that've dumped you. She's nothing special. I could care less what she told me…" He sighed loudly, knowing he was lying to himself. "Now what do I do?"

"So, Kirstin hasn't shown up for three days now?" Hawkeye repeated, and Havoc nodded. Mustang rested his chin on his fingers and made a noise in the back of his throat.

"Hm…why didn't you inform us sooner, Major?" he asked. Havoc stuttered momentarily before regaining his composure and staring out the window.

"We had a fight, sir. I thought she was just taking some time to cool off," he replied, forcing the words out. His superior regarded him for a long moment before sighing and shifting in his seat.

"Colonel Armstrong should be here in a day or two, so there's no point in trying to contact him now," he thought out-loud, and caught Havoc's surprised glance. "You didn't know? Armstrong was coming here to deal with the Sergeant Major, but it seems he's going to have to find her first."

"May I go now, sir?" Havoc requested, and Hawkeye glanced at Mustang, who nodded. "Thank you, sir," he nodded, before leaving them alone.

"A fight, huh?" Mustang mused, grinning a little. "That explains her disappearance – she doesn't like personal relationships, and a confrontation with Havoc either pissed her off beyond belief or flustered her. Either way, she should still be in town if we're lucky."

"If we're lucky, sir?" Hawkeye repeated, and he nodded.

"Yeah. She might have just decided to leave completely. I can't see her doing that, though…not as long as her sister is still somewhere here."

"Do we know that for a fact?" she asked. Mustang glanced at her briefly before tossing her a file with a grin.

"You might as well catch up on your reading, Hawkeye," he said. "And yeah, we do. Another man died last night, in the same way as the others. She's still here, and that means Kirstin's still here. It's almost a certainty."

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Kirstin said quietly to herself, trying to ignore the guilt and sadness she felt as she boarded the train leaving Central for the west. "But I can't stay here any longer. I have to break away from my past, or it'll destroy me."

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts she stepped onto the train without looking back, not noticing a certain blond young man staring after her in shock as the train began to pull out of the station.

"She left for the west?" Armstrong repeated, and sighed heavily. "She's gotten herself into more trouble than I can get her out of this time. I can't believe she left, with the Black Widow still here."

"She's a big girl, Colonel. I think she knows what she's gotten herself into," Mustang commented casually. "After all, with that whole incident with Archer, I'm surprised she didn't make a break for it sooner by now. Hawkeye, send Havoc in."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, sir," she said, her tone one of patient exasperation. "The Major's gone. I can't find him anywhere."

"He's the one who saw her board the train," Mustang shook his head, and Armstrong gasped slightly.

"You don't think he went after her, do you?"

"What the hell are you doing on this train?" Kirstin demanded, pressing herself up against the back of the seat in shock as Havoc, dressed in black boots, slacks, and a black jacket over a forest-green shirt with a black cap hanging over his eyes.

"No reason," he shrugged and sat down across her after closing the door to the box.

"Bu – but – how?" she stammered.

"It's called hauling ass to the next station, of course," he replied calmly, slouching in the seat casually.

"Goddamn it," she muttered under her breath, and he cocked an eyebrow at her as he glanced up at her under the brim of his cap.

"Such language," he 'tsked' at her, and she shot him a dirty look.

"Why the fuck are you on this train?" she managed, forcing the words out calmly even as she felt she was going to faint.

"No reason."

"Don't give me that crap," she snapped, leaning slightly forward. "What do you think you're doing, Havoc? Playing the hero or something like that? Answer me, or you'll find yourself in several pieces on the tracks in two seconds."

He regarded her momentarily and noticed her hands were clenched dangerously, and decided it was best for his health he said something.

"You shouldn't have taken off like this," he said calmly. "Of course, now I'm in trouble too."

"I didn't ask you to come!" she hissed, barely keeping herself from beating the Major in front of her to death.

"I didn't say you did," he countered. "But you're supposed to keep me alive. And how're you gonna do that if I'm all the way back in Central while you're off to who-knows-where?"

"None of my business anymore," she said stiffly, sitting back. "I resigned. I'll probably land my ass in jail soon anyway, and that bitch'll keep killing."

"So, you're just running away," Havoc accused her in a casual tone, and her eyes widened in outrage.

"How dare you!" she said, her voice rising with each word. "You have no idea what my past is!"

"Well, when you sick you mentioned 'that bitch' is your older sister and an Alchemist," he informed her. "I thought about it for a while, and I think she was an experiment in Lab Five. That's why you were assigned by Archer to guard her and why Armstrong got you out of jail time. Because you're the only one who can get rid of her."

Kristin's jaw dropped to an interesting length as he gazed at her coolly before she regained her composure and snapped it back shut.

"Bastard," she mumbled, turning to glare out the window. "I still don't understand why you came, if you know so much."

"It's called something you obviously know nothing about," Havoc supplied. She eyed him suspiciously but he didn't say anything further, and she sighed before resting her chin on her hand and staring out the window, trying to figure out what the hell the man across from her was talking about.

"This is as far as my ticket takes me," she informed him stiffly, rising as the train stopped at a station in a small town in the western borders, dotted with forests and mountains.

"Alright then," he nodded, and followed her calmly outside as she tried in vain to ignore his presence.

"Go away," she muttered, once she had gathered her bag and strode out into the street. He regarded her blankly for a moment before gazing straight ahead and keeping pace with her stalking. "What the hell is your problem?" she demanded in frustration, and he almost laughed at her expression.

"Other than you?"

"Bastard," she growled, resisting the urge to throttle the infuriating Havoc on the spot.

"So, what's your brilliant plan now?" he asked. "Settle in some obscure town and live the rest of you life out as a seamstress or something equally boring?"

"Fat chance," she replied before she could stop herself, and saw him eyeing her curiously. "I'm hoping to find work in medicine or a working field, asshole."

"And if any leads pop up?"

"I won't give them a second look," she said coldly, and he paused slightly at how quickly her tone had changed from annoyance to pure hatred.

"Fine then. I'll be your cousin or whatever you feel like calling me."

"What?" she gasped, and whirled around to face him. "No, you're not! I won't! You'll go away and leave me alone, for the last time! I don't want anything to do with you!"

"You don't have much of a choice," he argued coolly. "You're a dog of the military, right? So, think of me as your guard until Armstrong catches up to you."

"I hate you," she forced out, and Havoc didn't give any sign of how much those three words hurt him. She regarded him for a moment before heaving a sigh, and he jumped when she clapped her hands together abruptly.

"H-hey!" he yelled, as shadows enveloped him and blinded him. He heard the sounds of feet running down the street and tried to follow, but something tripped him up and he ended up face-down on the pavement, the three-story buildings rising above him, trees even taller looming over the village protectively.

"Whew," she panted, resting a few blocks down and loosening the alchemy she was using to bind Havoc. "That was closer than I thought," she sighed, and looked around curiously. "I don't even know which town I'm in…looks like it's got plenty of foresting jobs available. And where there's work there's bound to be injuries."

Straightening herself out she strode around the town, cautiously keeping an eye out for an approaching Havoc where she went. Approaching a building she saw it was a doctor's office, and decided to take her chances there.

"Looking for work?" an older woman asked dryly as soon as Kirstin entered the room, and she froze in surprise. "Don't look so shocked – it's written all over you," the woman laughed slightly and peered at her with bright-blue eyes. "Your clothes have obviously been traveled in, and you're carrying a traveling bag as well. Furthermore, you look like someone who's trying to stay away from something. Am I right?"

"My name is Kirstin Dewfall," she said coolly, quickly regaining her composure. "I have military experience in medicine and was hoping you'd have a position available for me. Anything is fine – I'm not picky with pay either."

"I see," the woman eyed her with obvious amusement, stepping out from behind the counter. She wore a long white doctor's coat over an outfit Kirstin would learn was customary for the woman – a dark olive-green skirt hanging almost to her ankles, where low black pumps covered her feet and a lighter olive-green turtleneck adorned her torso, with a single golden chain around her neck. "Military, huh? Ran away from your duty to the State, did you?"

"I…"

"Oh, don't worry. No one in this town has any great love for the State," the woman waved her hand dismissively. "After all, we're so far out in the borderlands, why would we? And I can't blame you for running away from that place – we've had several deserters pass through here in the past few years. It seems peace breeds discontent just as much as war does."

"Ma'm?"

"My name is Almetha Maynard, and I'm this town's local doctor," she informed the young woman briskly. "It wouldn't hurt to have another hand around the place – might make it more interesting, too. And you've also got young man problems – they better not interfere with your job."

"Do I have that written all over my face too?" Kirstin asked dryly, and the woman chuckled, the lines on her face becoming more apparent as laugh lines than worry wrinkles.

"No, but all woman have some kind of problem with men," Almetha told her. "And you're a State Alchemist as well."

"I give up – how do you do it?"

"Well, you said you were in the military. And I've come across several Alchemists in my many years of experience, and they all have the same hunted look in their eyes," Almetha said briskly. "Being a doctor, I have to be able to tell things about my patients, or else I wouldn't know how to treat them. So, you honestly want a job?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be here," she nodded.

"I see," Almetha mused, gazing at the young woman before for several long moments before inclining her head briefly. "I already said I could use another hand around here, didn't I? What's your power?"

"I can disperse negatively-charged particles from my alchemy into the air, creating shadows," Kirstin said. "I have a tattoo on the base of my neck so I can manipulate them with a thought, and the ring I wear serves as a conductor as well."

"Well, that won't be much help in this profession, understand?" the woman asked firmly, her snow-white hair pulled back into a no-nonsense bun at the base of her neck while her eyes went briefly to the narrow band of adamantine around Kirstin's fourth finger on her left hand.

"I didn't think it would," the Alchemist replied calmly.

"You're hired then, if I think you'll be of use," Almetha decided. "You can have the spare room on the third floor – the practice uses the first and second. I use the third floor for storage, but I'm sure you can find a bed to use and whatever else you need."

"I'm sure I can," Kirstin agreed, both women regarding the other intently, each trying to figure out how to deal with the other.

"Where'd she go?" Havoc groaned, wandering the streets aimlessly. "Damn woman…I better find somewhere to stay if I don't want to sleep outside tonight," he sighed, looking around for an inn as the sun began to set, bringing with it a sudden chill in the air.

Now I'm unsure where I'm going to take this story. Ideas, anyone? Please review!